A trail by another means…

Exploring yet another sort of trail, we recently traversed the Oswego Canal; taking in the rich fall colors and historical sights along the way. A very special thank you to our friend Richard for being our tour guide and canoe captain.

We began our journey just north of Battle Island, named for a skirmish of the French and Indian War. It was in July 1756, after delivering supplies and reinforcements to Fort Ontario, that a small British troop was ambushed by warriors of the Five Nations. Led by Captain John Bradstreet, the soldiers quickly made their way to the small island, where they took refuge in the thick underbrush and made their stand against multiple attacks. For decades, the hasty strongholds and trees bearing marks of the battle could be seen, a reminder of the island’s one important day in history.

We rounded the island, listening to calls from a gaggle of geese. On the south side, we discovered a landing site for picnic-goers and briefly enjoyed the company of a blue heron. As we next glided past Factory Island, we found the ruins of an old starch factory; built in competition to Oswego’s Kingsford Starch Factory. We then passed Battle Island State Park where late season golfers were playing the beautiful fairways and greens of the 18-hole course.

We continued on toward the former Van Buren estate, first settled in 1796 by John Van Buren, a first cousin to past President Martin Van Buren. Built in the 1820s, the tavern provided a place for visitors to eat, drink and sleep. “The Pillars” was constructed in 1847 as the personal residence of the patriarch’s son, David. Today, both buildings are private homes and not open to the public.

On our return, we followed the old Oswego Canal, which was open from 1828 to 1917. The canal runs from Oswego to Syracuse, where it joins the Erie Canal. In a few places, canoers and kayakers can see vestiges of the old canal and its towpath along the east side the Oswego River.

The ride was, at turns, an easy glide and a hard slog. Regardless of the effort, it was serene and refreshing – a welcome retreat to the scenic beauty in our “backyard”. The trip provided us an opportunity to closely view our local heritage and natural world along the smaller waterways, and take in the panoramic views along the great expanse of the Oswego River.

Here are a few images of our adventure:



Canoers and kayakers of all skill levels will find a vast network of picturesque waterways in Oswego County. To ensure a memorable and enjoyable paddle, be sure to follow these tips:

• New York State law requires that all boaters have access to a personal flotation device, which should be worn at all times.
• Do not use intoxicants while boating.
• Do not approach dam areas too closely on either the up- or down-stream sides.
• Standing up in a canoe is not advisable.
• Remember that once you reach your destination, you may have to paddle just as far in the opposite direction, perhaps against the wind or heavy current.
• Know your limits and abilities. Use good judgment at all times.

The nearest launch sites for this bit of the tour are: Indian Point in Fulton and the Minetto Boat Launch in Minetto. However, if you would like to visit other waterways, or would like more information about paddling or canalling, please visit our Web site at http://www.visitoswegocounty.com/.

Cheers,
Kelly

A trail by another name...

We have taken advantage of the spectacular fall season to explore different types of trails.

One of our adventures took us to the Greco Family Farm and Orchard to search for buried treasure in their 5-acre corn maze. New to the farm this year, it is a seasonal must-do for children of all ages, including those that are simply young-at-heart.

Straight away, we learn that the dreaded pirate Captain Corn Alias Copperpot has hidden five treasures in the cornfield and we are off through the labyrinth to seek our fortunes.

All is quiet and still, save for the rustling cornstalks and the beat of our own hearts as we circle round and round in an intricate web of wrong turns and dead-ends. Still, we continue our pursuit through the tangle of twists, determined not to leave empty-handed. We search near and wide, enjoying the thrill of the hunt as much as the prizes captured. Ultimately, we discover the end of the maze before we can find all of of the secreted possessions.

Here is a glimpse of our quest, including the real treasures of the farm:

A quintessential farm market and orchard, Greco’s Farm is a terrific place to celebrate the autumn season. Spend the day picking over 50 varieties of apples and pears or choosing the perfect pumpkin to make a jack-o'-lantern. Visit the farm animals in the petting zoo, enjoy haywagon or pony rides and browse farm fresh products in the country store.

The Greco Family Farm and Orchards is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the month of October and will continue with limited hours in November. The farm is located on West Fifth Street Road just 5 miles outside of Oswego, New York. For more information, visit http://www.grecofamilyorchards.com/ or call 315/216-4180.

Cheers,
Kelly

The stage is set for laughter…

As the SUNY Oswego Theatre Department begins its new season, a talented group of aspiring thespians take the stage in Tyler Hall's Waterman Theatre to bring George E. Kelly’s “The Torch Bearers” to life.

Set in small-town America, the play offers us a glimpse of community theatre during the early 1920s. Mrs. Pampinelli, the narcissistic and grandiose directress, leads an awkward troupe of amateur actors as they attempt to stage a small play. After a disastrous rehearsal, the show goes on with hysterical results, including missed cues, forgotten lines, jammed doorknobs and collapsed sets.

The brilliantly animated performances hold the audience captive. The physical comedy is exquisitely choreographed to carry off the tumbles, stumbles and near misses. We watch in awe; in turn holding our breath for the moments of potential injury or laughing out loud in relief when they are avoided. Through our own amusement, it is plain to see that the performers are having great fun as well.

Here are images of the show, courtesy of Jon Vermilye and the SUNY Oswego Theatre Department:

The SUNY Oswego Theatre Department provides cultural programming on the campus for students and community residents alike. Theatrical productions include both classic and contemporary works as well as innovative and original shows. For more information about the department or for a list of upcoming shows, visit www.oswego.edu/theatre.

“The Torch Bearers” will continue this week-end with shows at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. The play is suggested for ages 12 and older. For more information or to reserve your tickets, call the Tyler Box Office at 315/312-2141 or email tickets@oswego.edu.

Cheers,
Kelly

Break Out of Your Routine…

With the academic year in full swing at SUNY Oswego, the ARTSwego Performing Arts Series has launched their 2008-2009 season. We recently attended the opening performance of “Rome & Jewels” by Rennie Harris Puremovement.

A bold and provocative production, the show illustrates the dark rivalry of B-boys and hip-hop street gangs. As the fog rolls over the audience, we are filled with anticipation for what is to come.

“Rome & Jewels” is progressive and dramatic storytelling. Shakespearean verses are juxtaposed with Ebonic sonnets to create contemporary poetry on stage. It is Romeo and Juliet meets West Side Story on the urban streets of today. We witness the struggles of our protagonist as he comes to terms with his destiny, and we are reminded that violence begets violence.

The show is infused with dynamic music and features incredible dance moves. The exuberance of the artists permeates the theater and the audience soon becomes a lively part of this high-energy performance.

The images below appear courtesy of ARTSwego and Rennie Harris Puremovement:















Committed to artistic excellence, ARTSwego presents diverse cultural programming for campus and community residents. This includes a Performing Arts Series, a Writing Arts Program, the Ke-nekt’ Chamber Music Series, selected gallery exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and movie screenings.

For more information about ARTSwego programming, call 315/312-4581. For a complete arts calendar listing, visit www.oswego.edu/arts.

Cheers,
Kelly

On the trail back home…

Our hometown friends have been following our trail adventures and invited us to join them on one of their own. A special thanks to our friend Jan for the guided tour!

The Pulaski Recreation Trail is a little gem in the great outdoors! An easy hike, the path stretches for nearly a mile (or a full mile, including the walk from the main road). We discovered wild blueberry and elderberry bushes on the edge of the footpath. Part of the trail follows alongside the Salmon River, providing hikers with picturesque views during their trek. For those looking for a bit of respite, trail-side benches offer a serene place for reflection. In the fall, these peaceful sites become exciting vantage points offering spectators river-side seats to the adventure of sportfishing!

Here are some of our views:

The Pulaski Recreation Trail runs along the perimeter of the John Ben Snow Community Complex in the quaint village of Pulaski, New York. Located just off Maple Avenue Extension, this recreation area hosts the John S. Haldane Memorial Arena Center, a skateboard park, a playground and several sporting fields.

For information about this multi-use facility, call 315/298-5174. To learn more about the Pulaski area, call the Pulaski/Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce at 315/298-2213 or visit http://www.pulaskinychamber.com/.

Cheers,
Kelly

Imagine a new world...

A world in which anything is possible, if you can dream it. A world where we live in harmony with our environment. A world where function meets form. A world where the past becomes the present. This world is now on view at the Tyler Hall Art Gallery…

Eco-Tankers: Exhibition by Bruce Conkle
Conkle’s vision of sustainability comes to life in this show. A celebration of the union between reason and imagination, this exhibition features the eco-tanker – an ocean vessel that produces food, grows trees and captures rainfall. Conkle’s drawings are transformed into three dimensional models; each resembling a virtual Noah’s Ark of horticulture and ecology. The subject fills the room with a lively discourse and hints at possibility for the future. A true collaboration, the show presents the work of students from a breadth of ages and disciplines alongside the artist’s conceptual renderings.

A Personal Landscape: Contemporary Quilts
These pieces are created by fiber artists using unconventional techniques and embellishments to portray the natural world. Full of light and depth, they are more like watercolors or collages. Each composition captures the attention and curiosity of viewers and skeptics of fabric art become believers. Patterns, shapes, color and texture come together to convey the artist's message and fill the room with stories of love and beauty, time and space, hope and renewal, nature and life.

Rocks and Rills: Nature Themes from the Permanent Collection
Working in harmony with the natural themes of the visiting exhibits, pieces from Tyler Art Gallery’s permanent collection are unveiled. Works from local artists such as Charles Henry Grant and James Gale Tyler (for whom Tyler Hall is named) hang alongside those of Italy’s Louis Bosa and France’s Lucien Pissarro (son of famed Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro). From the palpable isolation of Grant’s “Moonlight at Sea” to the haunting beauty of Bosa’s “Wind in the Willows”, the show invites fresh perspectives of earlier works.

Sponsored by Auxiliary Services and the SUNY Oswego Student Association, these exhibitions will run through October 19, 2008.

To help you find your way:
Tyler Hall Art Gallery is located just off the main entrance of the SUNY Oswego campus on New York State Route 104 West in Oswego, New York. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. Individuals with a disability can call 315-312-2113 for assistance in attending gallery events.

With two working showrooms, Tyler Hall Art Gallery hosts a variety of exhibitions throughout the academic year, including traveling shows and works created by the students and faculty of SUNY Oswego. The venue is a teaching gallery as well and provides many opportunities for students. It introduces them to professional artists and their work, involves them in the daily operations of a gallery and allows them to show their own pieces.

For more information about this show or upcoming exhibitions, call 315-312-2113 or visit www.oswego.edu/tylerartgallery.

Cheers,
Kelly

Exploring history and nature (way) off the beaten path…

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recently opened a new state park – Frenchman’s Island in Oneida Lake. With a little help from our friends, Bob and Tom, we had an opportunity to visit the park and explore its primitive environs.

To be sure, Frenchman’s Island is one of the most spectacular resources that Oswego County has to offer. The unspoiled woodlands bring to mind images of a wild rain forest. Thick foliage creates a draping canopy over the newly cut trail which circles the island and winds its way back to the beginning.

The trail offers an easy hike through 28 acres of serene beauty. Keeping with tradition, we learned to identify the beech tree as we traversed the footpath. We also came upon the historic 85-foot lighthouse built by the state in 1917.

Here are some images from our excursion:

The romanticism of Frenchman’s Island can be gathered from its namesake. By most accounts, the first inhabitants of the island were a Frenchman by the name of Desvatines and his young bride. The tale varies a bit as to how they made their way to Oneida Lake; some have said that the couple fled France during the Reign of Terror, while others have speculated that they left due to (his or her) father’s disapproval of their union.

The tale continues that Desvatines sold all of his possessions, save for a “fine library and a little silver for the table” in order to make a life in the wilderness for himself and his family. Alone, he cleared a lot near six acres, built a cabin and planted a garden on the island. It is here that his wife bore his daughter, Camille in the spring of 1792. It is supposed that she was the first white child born in Oswego County.

The following year, the family moved to Rotterdam (Constantia) and later disappeared into history. According to some, the family was once visited by Chancellor Livingston, who recognized the gentility of the couple and spirited them to his manor on the Hudson River. Others have posited that (his or her) father came to the couple seeking forgiveness and, upon reconciliation, the family returned to their beloved France.

In more recent history, Frenchman’s Island was known locally as the second Coney Island. The picturesque island was a favorite resort for day-excursions in the early 20th century. Home to a dancing pavilion, bowling alley and children’s playground, the island was ideal for picnics and parties.

Located at the west end of Oneida Lake, Frenchman’s Island is accessible by watercraft only. It is a carry-in, carry-out park and there are no picnic tables or restrooms. Camping and fires are not permitted and visitors are encouraged to report vandalism by calling 315-762-4463.

For more information about Oneida Lake and its histories, visit your local library and check out: “Oneida Lake ‘The Only Happiness’ Place Names and History” by Jack Henke.

Cheers,
Kelly

Francis Adrian Vanderkemp, a distinguished citizen of Holland, once wrote of the island:

“This island might in ancient days have been the happy seat of a goddess, in the middle age that of a magician, or a fairy’s residence in the times of chivalry. All that the poets did sing of the gardens of Alcinous, all the scenery of those of Armida, so highly decorated by Virgil and Ariosto, could scarce have made upon me, who was captivated unawares and bewildered, a more deep impression than this spectacle of nature. We did see here a luxuriant soil in its virgin bloom… It seemed a paradise which happiness had chosen for her residence.”